Directory - Bali and Lombok - page 159

and bureaucratic encounter. You should
dress as respectably as possible, bring a fluent
Indonesian-speaking friend for interpretation
and moral support, arrive early and be very
polite. You can also call the Bali Tourist Police
(

tour companies, list their prices in US dollars,
although you can usually pay in rupiah at a
poorer exchange rate.
US dollars are usually the most negotiable
currency.
Many travellers now rely mostly on ATMs
for cash while in Bali. It is a good idea, how-
ever, to carry some backup funds in case your
card is lost or the network goes down (usually
just for a few hours).
Always carry a good supply of rupiah in
small denominations with you. Throughout
the island many will people will struggle to
make change for a 50,000Rp note or larger.

usually quite good, though some banks add
various usage and exchange fees which are
strictly for their own profit.
You can also get cash advances on major
credit cards at many ATMs.

digital) is available in tourist areas; it's cheap
and good quality.
The best internet places (p339) will allow
you to download your photos onto their com-
puters for distribution to lucky friends and
relatives worldwide or for burning onto a CD
for storage or printing at a photo shop. It's
also a good idea to bring along whatever cable
your camera requires. The process is easiest
for people who carry their own laptops.

0361-224111) for advice. Call 112 in an

% %

Moneychangers
Exchange rates offered by moneychangers are
normally better than the banks, plus they offer
quicker service and keep much longer hours.
The exchange rates are advertised on boards
along footpaths or on windows outside shops.
It's worth looking around because rates vary a
little, but beware of places advertising excep-
tionally high rates - they may make their profit
by short-changing their customers (see p333).
In the Kuta area, you can now find interna-
tional banks with reliable exchange services
(see p99). In hotels, the rates can be up to 20%
less than a street moneychanger.

emergency in Bali.
Police officers frequently expect to receive
bribes, either to overlook some crime, misde-
meanour or traffic infringement, or to provide
a service that they should provide anyway.
Generally, it's easiest to pay up - and the
sooner you do it, the less it will cost. You may
be told there's a 'fine' to pay on the spot or you
can offer to a pay a 'fine' to clear things up.
How much? Generally, 50,000Rp can work
wonders and the officers are not proud. If
things seem unreasonable however, ask for
the officer's name and write it down.
If you're in trouble, contact your consulate
as soon as you can - they can't get you out,
but they can recommend English-speaking
lawyers and may have useful contacts.
MAPS
For tourist resorts and towns, the maps in
this guidebook are as good as you'll get. If you
need a more detailed road map of the island,
there are some OK sheet maps available in
bookshops. The following are examples of
good maps that are available. There are many
more which are old and/or useless.

Photographing People
Photograph with discretion and manners. It's
always polite to ask first, and if they say no,
then don't. A gesture, smile and nod are all
that is usually necessary. ATMs

There are ATMs all over Bali. Most accept
international ATM cards and major credit
cards for cash advances. The exchange rates
for ATM withdrawals are usually quite good,
but check to see if your home bank will hit
you with outrageous fees. Most ATMs in Bali
allow a maximum withdrawal of 600,000Rp
to 1.2 million rupiah. Try to avoid ones with
a sticker saying '100,000Rp' as that's the de-
nomination you'll get and you'll struggle to
break those bills.
Major towns on Lombok have ATMs but
there are none on the Gilis.

Restrictions
Military installations are not widespread in
Bali, but you should be aware that these are
sensitive subjects - if in doubt, ask before you
shoot. You are usually welcome to take photos
of ceremonies in the villages and temples,
but try not to be intrusive. Ask before taking
photos inside a temple.
There's one place where you must not take
photographs at all - public bathing places.
Balinese think of these places as private and
do not 'see' one another when they're bath-
ing. To intrude with a camera is very rude
voyeurism.

Tipping
Tipping a set percentage is not expected in
Bali, but restaurant workers are poorly paid;
if the service is good, it's appropriate to leave
4000Rp or more. Most midrange hotels and
restaurants and all top-end hotels and restau-
rants add 21% to the bill for tax and service
(known as 'plus plus'). This service component
is distributed among hotel staff (one hopes), so
you needn't tip under these circumstances.
It's also a nice thing to tip taxi drivers,
guides, people giving you a massage, fetching
you a beer on the beach etc.

Banks
Major banks have branches in the main tourist
centres and provincial capitals. Smaller towns
may not have banks at all or have banks that
don't exchange currency. Changing money
can be time-consuming.

Video
Bring any media you need from home in
sealed packages - to avoid a customs search
for prohibited material.
POST
Sending postcards and normal-sized letters
(ie under 20g) by airmail is cheap, but not
really fast. A postcard/letter to the USA costs
5000/10,000Rp (allow 13 days); to Australia
costs 7500/15,000Rp (15 days); and to the UK
costs 8000/18,000Rp (21 days).
For anything over 20g, the charge is based
on weight. Sending large parcels is quite ex-
pensive, but at least you can get them properly
wrapped and sealed at any post office.
Every substantial town has a kantor pos
(post office). In tourist centres, there are also
postal agencies. They are often open long

Periplus Travel Maps has a decent Bali
contour map (1:250,000), with a detailed
section on southern Bali, plus maps of
the main towns areas. However, the la-
belling and names used for towns are
often incomprehensible. The Lombok &
Sumbawa map is useful.

Travellers Cheques
Travellers cheques are getting harder and
harder to exchange, especially if they are not
in US dollars. The exchange rates offered for
travellers cheques are sometimes a little less
than for cash, and small denominations usu-
ally get a lower rate.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
Bali is one of the most photogenic places on
earth, so be prepared.

Cash
Changing money in Bali is not difficult in
tourist areas. It's easiest to exchange US bank-
notes, especially US$100 bills. However, make
certain that your money is new and recent.
Older designs and damaged notes will often
be refused.
Rupiah bills of 50,000Rp and larger can be
hard to break. Always keep lots of small bills
for public transport and other services.

The Periplus Street Atlas Bali may be
more than you need, but it is more ac-
curate than the sheet map. Again, there
are inexplicable omissions.
MONEY
Indonesia's unit of currency is the rupiah
(Rp). There are coins worth 50, 100, 500 and
1000Rp. Notes come in denominations of
500Rp (rare), 1000Rp, 5000Rp, 10,000Rp,
20,000Rp, 50,000Rp and 100,000Rp.
Check out the front cover of this topic for an

Cameras
You can buy additional memory cards for
digital cameras at photo shops in the major
tourist centres, but you're really better off
bringing what you need from home.

Credit Cards
Visa, MasterCard and American Express
(Amex) are accepted by most of the larger